What is Regulation M-A? A Complete Guide for New Players

Welcome to Pokemon Champions and Regulation M-A

If you are just getting started with Pokemon Champions competitive play, you have arrived at exactly the right time. Regulation M-A — the inaugural format of the Champions series — opened on April 8, 2026, and it represents one of the most exciting formats in fan-made competitive Pokemon history. Unlike the official VGC circuit, Pokemon Champions was built from the ground up with a clear mission: bring Mega Evolutions back to the competitive stage.

In the official Pokemon games, Mega Evolutions were retired after Generation 7. Champions reintroduces them with a modern twist, building a format around the tactical depth they create. If you have ever watched a Charizard-Mega-Y scorch an entire team with its Drought-powered Solar Beams, or seen a Kangaskhan-Mega shrug off damage while hitting twice with Parental Bond, you already understand the appeal. Champions makes these moments a regular part of competitive play.

Regulation M-A is the “A” of Champions — the first iteration of this series. The M stands for Mega, signalling that Mega Evolution is the defining mechanic. Understanding what this format is, what Pokemon are legal within it, and how the meta has developed over its first season is the first step to becoming a competitive Champions player.

This guide will walk you through all of that in plain language. Whether you are brand new to competitive doubles or a veteran of VGC looking to try Champions for the first time, you will leave this article ready to build your first Regulation M-A team.

What Is a Regulation Format?

In competitive Pokemon, a regulation defines which Pokemon are legal to use in a given format. Think of it like a season in a sport: the rules stay the same (doubles, Level 50, standard Poke Ball restrictions), but the available roster changes from one regulation to the next. This keeps the game fresh, forces players to adapt, and ensures no single team dominates forever.

Regulation M-A is the first regulation in the Champions series. It was designed as a curated introduction to the format — a carefully balanced roster of 262 legal species and forms that represent the best foundation for competitive Mega Evolution doubles play. That number includes base species, their Mega forms (where applicable), regional variants, and a handful of supplemental alternate forms.

Regulation M-A runs from April 8 to June 17, 2026. After that, it transitions to Regulation M-B, which expands the legal pool further. Think of M-A as the introductory season: deep enough to have genuine strategic variety, but focused enough that learning the meta is achievable for newcomers.

A few ground rules apply in Regulation M-A that hold for all Champions formats:

• Doubles only — You send out two Pokemon at a time and battle 2v2.
• Level 50 — All Pokemon are scaled to Level 50 regardless of their actual level.
• Best of three — Tournament play uses a best-of-three set with team preview.
• Standard held items — Mega Stones, berries, choice items, and all standard competitive items are permitted. A separate Battle Stadium Singles ladder uses a slightly different item ruleset.

The format is played in real-time through the Champions client, and ladder results feed directly into the usage statistics you can browse on this site.

Mega Evolutions: The Heart of Champions

The defining feature of Regulation M-A — and the entire Champions series — is that Mega Evolutions are fully legal. This is not a small change. In standard VGC play since Generation 8, Mega Evolutions simply do not exist. In Champions, they are the centrepiece of team building.

How does Mega Evolution work in doubles? Each team can have one Pokemon holding a Mega Stone, and that Pokemon will Mega Evolve during its first turn of action. The Mega Evolution happens before the move is executed, meaning the stats, type changes, and ability of the Mega form apply immediately on that first turn. This creates a fascinating tactical wrinkle: your opponent can see in team preview that you have a Mega Stone holder, but they do not always know which turn you will choose to Mega Evolve.

Regulation M-A has over 60 legal Mega forms. These range from classic fan favourites like Charizard-Mega-Y (which gains the Drought ability and becomes a Fire/Flying type powerhouse) and Gengar-Mega (which gains Shadow Tag, trapping opponents) through to newer Champion-exclusive Mega forms that do not exist in the mainline games. Yes, you read that correctly: Champions introduces its own Mega Evolutions. Meganium-Mega, Floette-Mega, Dragonite-Mega, Froslass-Mega, Scovillain-Mega, and many others have been designed specifically for this format, each with unique stats, typings, and abilities.

There is also a small set of Mega-Z forms — an exclusive rarity tier that combines the Mega Evolution mechanic with elements of Z-Moves. Absol-Mega-Z, Garchomp-Mega-Z, and Lucario-Mega-Z fall into this category. These are among the most powerful and sought-after options in the format, and encountering one in a match is a signal that your opponent has put serious thought into their team construction.

The presence of so many Mega Evolution options means that team preview in Champions carries more information than in standard VGC. Identifying your opponent’s Mega and planning around it is a core skill in this format.

What Pokemon Are Legal in Regulation M-A?

The full legal roster for Regulation M-A contains 262 species and forms. Rather than listing all 262 here, let’s cover the key categories so you understand the shape of the format:

Kanto Classics and Their Megas

Many of the most beloved Kanto Pokemon are legal, along with their Mega forms where they exist. Venusaur-Mega, Blastoise-Mega, Beedrill-Mega, Pidgeot-Mega, Alakazam-Mega, and Charizard-Mega-X and Mega-Y are all part of the roster. Pikachu, Raichu, Arcanine, and Clefable are also present, with Clefable-Mega being a Champion-exclusive form.

Regional Variants

The format includes regional variants from across the Pokemon series. You will find Alolan forms like Raichu-Alola and Ninetales-Alola (which brings Snow Warning), Galarian forms including Slowbro-Galar and Stunfisk-Galar, Hisuian entries like Arcanine-Hisui, Zoroak-Hisui, and Avalugg-Hisui, and Paldean Pokemon including Tauros-Paldea in all three combat variants.

Modern Competitive Staples

Many Pokemon that define modern VGC are present: Incineroar, Garchomp, Sinistcha, Archaludon, Farigiraf, and Sylveon are all legal. Whimsicott with Prankster makes an appearance, as does Pelipper with Drizzle for rain teams. Sneasler brings its Unburden and Poison Touch combination. Kingambit closes out games with Supreme Overlord.

Notable Alternate Forms

Several alternate forms are legal as supplements to their base species. All five Rotom forms (Wash, Heat, Frost, Fan, Mow) are available. Lycanroc-Dusk and Lycanroc-Midnight round out the Lycanroc family. Basculegion-F (female Basculegion) and Floette-Eternal are both present.

For the full interactive legal list filtered by your team, use the Pokemon Champions Team Builder, which automatically enforces Regulation M-A legality.

The Regulation M-A Meta: What Everyone Is Using

Based on May 2026 Master Ball ladder data — the highest ranking tier — here is how the Regulation M-A meta looks at the competitive summit:

• Basculegion (51.5% usage) — The most dominant Pokemon in the format. Basculegion’s Swift Swim in rain makes it extraordinarily fast, and its access to Wave Crash delivers nuclear Water damage. Teams built around rain and Basculegion are the most common sight at the top of ladder.
• Kingambit (40.7%) — A late-game sweeper that punishes knock-outs. Supreme Overlord multiplies its attack stat for each ally that has fainted, and Kowtow Cleave never misses. Kingambit is the finisher on a huge proportion of winning teams.
• Garchomp (40.5%) — Both the base form and Garchomp-Mega-Z appear on over 40% of top teams. Garchomp provides Ground/Dragon coverage and speed that pressures a wide range of threats. The Mega-Z form adds another dimension with its unique ability.
• Charizard-Mega-Y (31.8%) — The quintessential Mega Evolution. Drought powers Solar Beam and Heat Wave, and the raw firepower of Charizard-Mega-Y’s Special Attack makes it one of the most feared damage dealers in the format.
• Sneasler (28.6%) — With Unburden and Poison Touch, Sneasler can reach exceptional speeds and spread poison on contact. Its Fighting/Poison typing hits a wide coverage and it remains slippery to pin down.
• Incineroar (25.9%) — The support backbone of the meta. Incineroar’s Intimidate for attack drops, access to Fake Out and Parting Shot, and reasonable bulk make it the most reliable team glue in the format. If you are new and unsure where to start, Incineroar belongs on most beginner teams.

Beyond the top six, you will encounter Floette-Mega (an offensive Fairy), Sinistcha (a Calm Mind sweeper with Hospitality), Aerodactyl-Mega (physical Rock/Flying), Pelipper (rain setter), Whimsicott (Tailwind + Encore), and a growing number of more niche Mega picks. The format rewards creative team building — the diversity of Mega options means there is no single “best” team.

Building Your First Regulation M-A Team

New to competitive doubles? Here are the key principles that will get you started on the right foot in Regulation M-A:

1. Pick a Role for Your Mega

Your Mega Evolution holder is your team’s centrepiece. The most beginner-friendly Mega choices are those with a clear, easy-to-execute role: Charizard-Mega-Y for Fire-type offence under sun, Blastoise-Mega for Water-type power with Shell Smash, or Aerodactyl-Mega as a physical Rock-type attacker. Start with a Mega whose job you understand completely before experimenting with more complex options.

2. Add Incineroar

Incineroar belongs on almost every starting team. It provides Fake Out (a free priority flinch), Intimidate (cuts the opponent’s physical attack on switch-in), and Parting Shot (a pivoting move that also drops the opponent’s attack and special attack). These tools give you breathing room to execute your game plan.

3. Cover Your Weaknesses

Once you have your Mega and Incineroar, look at what types your team cannot handle. If you are running Charizard-Mega-Y, you have a Rock weakness — you need something like Garchomp or Sinistcha to cover that. Use the Team Builder’s coverage analysis to identify your blind spots before you ladder.

4. Add Speed Control

In doubles, whoever moves first has a massive advantage. Include at least one form of speed control: Tailwind (doubles your team’s speed for four turns, usually from Whimsicott or Talonflame), Trick Room (reverses speed order, making slow Pokemon move first, typically from Farigiraf), or a Choice Scarf on a fast attacker. Understanding the Regulation M-A speed tiers will help you make informed choices here.

5. Learn from the Meta

Browse the Champions meta usage stats to see what Pokemon and moves are popular at your skill tier. Understanding what the opponent is likely to bring — and preparing counters — is how you climb the ladder.